


Questioning

by Ononymous



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Undertale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-24 13:24:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16640978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ononymous/pseuds/Ononymous
Summary: A few months had passed, and Undyne still couldn't believe it. Chosen to receive training from the King of the Underground himself. Her mind still raced from it. Exciting possibilities, cool fantasies, and intriguing questions. The third couldn't help but spill out, ignorant of what effect they would have, but their answers would begin her path to true understanding.





	Questioning

For most monsters, Undyne's habit of bursting into their house and through at least two rooms before considering the possibility that maybe she should have knocked first was irritating, especially when she used to rummage through their closets and drawers to see what was there. A little older and mostly past such behaviour, she now marched confidently into the one house in the Underground whose owner had never minded either impulse. A bag strapped tightly to her back, strap gripped even tighter in her hand quivering with poorly contained excitement, and a smile tugging the blue, scaly cheeks tighter than what should be possible.

"Hey, King Asgore, where are you?"

Her own faint echo was answer enough before she saw the usual sign meaning she had a little further to go. Not bothering with the keys, she vaulted clumsily over the rope and down the stairs, breaking out into a sprint as the muted intimate cottage became a narrow corridor became a vista-laden walkway became the imperious hallways of a true and ancient castle. Seeing where the torches stopped being alight halfway down one hallway, she took the door to her left, and spotted her quarry.

"Ha, there you are!"

"Hmm?" The king turned around, pink watering can adorned with flowers almost as vibrant as those he watered still in his hands, and his smile broadened. "Oh howdy, young Undyne!"

"You did say Saturday morning, right? I didn't get mixed up or impatient again?"

"Not at all, you are correct. I did plan to train you today." The smile faltered slightly, causing a nearby sunflower to spin on its stem to face Undyne for its light. "Erm, however..."

"What?"

"Oh, well, it's just that your teacher came to me after school the other day. She told me of her worries about how often you use our training as an excuse for missing homework."

Undyne's yellow eye rolled as she snarled. "Ugh, I get it, hone my mind as well as my body and all that junk you talk about. Come on, what does someone in the Royal Guard need with a book report?"

Asgore's smile shrank a little more, prompting a couple of roses to close their petals shut. "Everyone in the guard does things other than be in the guard, Undyne. If you train all the time and nothing else, you can be rather unbalanced. If I did nothing but train, would I know how to organise the Snowdin decorations? The duties of the Guard extend beyond mere physical improvement. Gerson had a chat with me the other day. He says you do not play the piano as much as you used to?"

"Hey, nobody said there was a rule I had to play it!"

"Of course not. You've merely grown tired of doing so?"

She had trouble meeting his eyes. "...I'm doing extra push ups. To get stronger. So when we train..."

It was his turn to look away, but only for a few seconds. "Well golly," he said, in the tone that always predicts a 'But' coming down the line. "you're a very determined girl. But," sure enough, "um, you don't have to give up everything else you like doing if you don't want to. I always like a little music in the Underground. It helps cheer everyone up. I thought Shyra seemed a little more reserved than usual last time I was there."

The flowers at her feet were suddenly fascinating. "Okay, I won't give up piano. There's one more tune I wanna learn to play, anyway."

"Very good." His smile began to recover. "As for school, I'm afraid I have to agree with your teacher. If you have not completed your homework today then I shall have to cancel-"

The snarl inverted, stopping Asgore short. "Ha, you grownups think I'm so predictable." She took off her bag and yanked out a worksheet. "That's why I did my homework last night and brought it here so you know I ain't a liar!"

"You did? Splendid." His smile reached its previous peak. "May I...?"

She obliged, handing him the worksheet full of maths questions. It took him a moment to adjust to her hasty scrawl, and another to adjust to her arithmetic methodology.

"Undyne, is it not common practice to show how you worked out the problem?"

"Yeah," she shrugged, "but this was faster."

"Hmm." He squinted at the page, spectacles resting in his house. "If both these numbers end in even numbers, how does your answer end in an odd one?"

"Oh, question four? I just eyeballed that one."

"Your answer to question five has a decimal number. But you were multiplying whole numbers."

"The teacher said we'd be studying them next week, I wanted to get a headstart."

"And why does question seven's answer have a 'B' in it?"

"I heard some kids talking about A through F being used as numbers on computers, so I'm covering all my bases!"

Asgore's smile had settled into a small frown. "Um... did you attempt these problems the way your teacher taught you?"

Undyne looked indignant. "I did! I did it her way and none of the numbers looked right, so I tried it my way."

"And I'm sure you worked very hard at this, Undyne."

"Heck yeah!"

"However..." he struggled with the right words, more delicately than Undyne had with the homework. "I'm not sure your teacher will be able to understand how you got these answers. Tell you what, before we train today, how about you try a couple of these again? It never hurts to make sure, does it?"

Undyne wasn't sure she agreed, but Asgore's eager smile won out, as it did for the sunflower and roses. An hour later, two of the four chairs around his dining table were occupied, the table itself covered with paper of all varieties - blank, scribbled (light or heavy for all tastes) and crumpled - around a dusty textbook, a pot of tea and a plate of cakes on the outskirts of the academic war zone.

"Remember," said Asgore, "this is the tens column, so you write a zero in the ones."

"Oh yeah, I forgot."

"And then you multiply every number in the first row by just the number in the tens. Oops, carry the two."

"I know, I know."

"Now it's just a sum. Add it up." He waited patiently for her. "Hmm, I think that's the right answer. Well done, Undyne."

"Awesome, that's six of them!"

"I think that is enough, you get the idea as laid out in the book. I shall trust you to double check the rest of your answers on your own before Monday."

"Yeah, this stuff's easy!" Her confidence was not necessarily backed up by evidence. "How'd you know all this maths junk anyway?"

"Oh, you are just lucky, I... I recall a teacher talking at length about this topic to a student a long time ago. It is fortunate this wasn't long division, I'm hopeless at that-"

"You're so cool!", she yelled, no longer listening, "the King of Monsters can do anything!"

"Oh my, that is not-"

"Hey if we're done with my homework, is it training time now?"

"Well, perhaps we should finish up this tea. It would be a shame to waste it."

There was no pushback to this suggestion. Instead Undyne stored the reconstruction project in her bag and then drained her cup, feeling the weakness leave her throat while fully aware Asgore would not drink as fast. Speech hiding out in the one patch of her larynx not on fire, she kicked her legs quietly.

"Hey, Mister Asgore," she mouthed, vocal chords not quite ready to function after their scalding bath. It took her half a dozen attempts to make an intelligible noise.

"Hmm?" he said at last.

"I was just thinking about something."

"That is good. Thinking is a healthy thing to do. What's on your mind?"

"I was wondering..." she toyed with her empty cup. "What's it like? Fighting humans, I mean?"

She half-expected him to stiffen. Like most of the kids in her neighbourhood she'd pelted this question at Gerson, and while he was never shy about launching into rather grotesque stories about the war, she never missed how his hobbled limbs stiffened before beginning the story. Asgore did not stiffen. His posture did not change at all. The only two real changes were that his smile was gone, and he now looked to be in careful thought.

"...it is dangerous," he finally said, reservation controlling the flow of speech. "One wrong move, and you are utterly at a human's mercy."

"And you had to fight lots of humans in the war, right?" She looked eagerly while he nodded. "And you never made a wrong move?"

Out of an almost-forgotten habit, a fuzzy hand reached up and massaged Asgore's left shoulder. "I would not say that..."

"Gerson told us all about one battle that sounded gross. It was really cool. But all the other kids could say was how scary it sounded. And that didn't make sense to me. It couldn't have been that scary, or nobody would fight..."

"It was terrifying."

Undyne looked directly at Asgore's face, not detecting any change in his expression, sipping his tea as though he'd said nothing, or perhaps offered the suggestion that water was wet.

"Then... why fight?"

He put his tea on the table, releasing his tightened grip on the cup. "Because the truly scary part was what would happen to others if we did not. The cost of that battle was high. But it could have been higher. Protecting others is always worth the cost."

His eyes were closed as he said this, to avoid the absolute conviction of his own words on the subject of fighting to defend, his own feelings still ambivalent. Undyne noticed only the words as she gazed at him reverently.

"That... is amazing! No wonder you're the king when you do such awesome stuff for us." She mistook his closed eyes for humility. "And then you kept fighting for us in the Underground whenever a human fell down!"

His eyes opened, and at last he stiffened slightly. "W-well, that situation is-"

"What's it like fighting a human one on one?" she demanded. "Bet it's a piece of cake compared to a big battle, huh?"

"I- It's actually-" he spluttered, coups and counter-coups launched in his mind, "It's different because when they- when I-"

"I bet it looks so cool!" she continued, no longer listening. She dismounted her chair and strode to the middle of the room. "The human is heard before they are seen, heavy clunks as the armour they wear to protect themselves clanks with every step. And then someone on the outskirts of Snowdin eyes some gigantic shadow growing in the mist, and then they emerge..."

The incongruity of this with reality forced Asgore to think of the reality, limiting his ability to speak. "Um, that's not-"

"And then they say 'Mua ha ha! I, the champion of humans, have descended to finish what my ancestors began long ago! Your reckoning is at hands, monsters!' And then they lift up a big jagged sword and point it at a little kid..."

"B-but-"

"But before they strike, there's a flash, and their blade is caught in a trident. And then you turn back, oh yeah you leapt down from a big tree to catch the human by surprise, you turn back to the town and yell 'Fear not, everyone, we're going to be free!', and you grab the knee-ferry-ass human's hands to keep them busy while the guard moves civvies to safety."

"Well, they're trained to do that..."

"And then the human shouts 'Curse you Asgore, you shall fall today!' in a yucky voice that's really annoying to listen to. But instead of attacking you directly, they cast a spell and summon up a ton of demons from hell, but they don't scare you. One leaps up, and you just swat it aside and it disappears in a puff of smoke. The rest surround you..."

"I'm not sure humans can do that..."

"...but you just laugh at how easy this is, and make a big tornado of fire or something! And it's so hot it threatens to burn the forest, but you're too good at magic to let that happen. But all the demons get afraid and run away back to hell. So the human is all alone, glaring at you with their black eyes from a visor in their helmet-"

"Human eyes aren't-"

"And they might be scared now, but they're probably like you and good at focusing on the fight, so they raise their sword, oh yeah the sword is dripping with acid, and it's obvious they're gonna attack, so you ready your trident to strike low while they come down from high..."

"Um, if I could explain-"

"And then you charge, and they charge, and there's a clear path melted from your fire earlier..."

"Please-"

"And just before they can move you _**strike**_ -!"

A heavy thud erupted from the center of the room. Undyne had summoned a spear, and had been so caught up in her imagining of the final blow she forgot what position both warriors had been in and plunged it down into the wooden floor, cleanly punching a hole through it. Asgore's heart felt like it had been punctured by the blow. Her posture was good for such a maneuver. Exactly like his. But her face couldn't have been more different.

"And then," she concluded, spear dissolving with a sound akin to her inspired inhale, "you take out your container and make sure the soul doesn't get away, and then you call out to the bystanders, you say 'Ha-ho! The danger is past, everyone! I have vanquished the foe!' in an amazing voice that's awesome to listen to. And everyone starts cheering, and they all say 'Hurray for Asgore! He's gonna free us!' That's how those fights always go, isn't it...?"

She looked at him for the first time in a while. He did not return the gesture, he merely looked at his paws, golden mane and shadowy horns concealing his face. Undyne's smile finally faltered, unsure of what she'd been expecting, but knowing it wasn't this. The quiet muted grays of the room tugged insistently at her attention where previously she had paid it no mind. She had no idea what to say, but before she could think much more, the great horns rose as his face reappeared. His eyes were open now, but Undyne missed their contents, as well as how static the rest of his face was. All she saw was his smile.

"Yes," he said softly, "they always cheer afterwards..."

"Hah!" Triumph accompanied her raised fist. "I knew it! No wonder you're in charge, you'll do anything for us!"

The sterile palette of the room released its niggling hold on Undyne as she beamed at her sovereign, almost imagining warmer colours radiating from the purple cloak. Asgore saw no such saturation, only the cheers of the most colourful being in the house, literally and figuratively.

"...yes..."

* * *

"Twenty at a time is enough, Undyne. Rest a moment."

"Ugh, fine."

Undyne grunted as she secured the barbell on its rack above her head. Asgore watched her nearby, sitting upright on his own much wider workout bench, a small girder with fourteen times as much weight as Undyne's strapped into position to avoid it falling when not in use. He had done a brief set to warm up himself, but was now focused on regulating her movements.

"Why two hundred, though?" she complained. "These are boring. I like sparring better."

"I did say we would hone your body as well as mind," he reminded her, "and exercise is an important part of that. Teaching you how to maneuver in combat is useless if your body cannot move as you need it to."

"I get that much," she said while taking her barbell for the next set. "but wouldn't running - Unh! - and stuff to make me faster - Unh! - be more important?"

He brushed some untidy hair out of his eyes. "There is a quirk to how monsters strengthen themselves. You learned in school how we are essentially projections of the magic in our souls, yes?"

"Unh! Yeah..."

"Well much like when we are in tune with our souls our magic strengthens, our souls do something similar with our bodies. Oh dear, I can't remember what he formally called it, but by doing strenuous physical activity, we strengthen the bond between body and soul, as if we are reminding ourselves there is more than whatever realm the soul dwells in. And with that stronger bond, the soul projects something more... real, I suppose. The body is stronger and sturdier, has more stamina and is more agile."

"Weight lifting makes you - Unh! - dodge better? No way."

"Well, it helped me when you chose to attack." He chose to act deaf to her muttered curse. "Those who do focus only on their magic sometimes neglect this, and even if they still have strong souls their bodies can be weaker as a result. It also, erm," he patted his vest-covered stomach, "diverts how we store excess energy to more streamlined forms."

"Hey, I thought you - Unh! - told Grillby that was just your natural shape."

Asgore fiddled with one of his floppy ears. "Well, um, most of it is." He chuckled at her grin. "Take another break."

The theory behind the regime established, the two of them continued the program with no complaints. It wasn't just weightlifting, there were also various self-exercises, giving Asgore an opportunity to correct Undyne's posture when doing push ups. Her enthusiasm for this part of her training warmed up as the day progressed, and Asgore found himself participating in the exercises more than he planned. Her attitude was infectious.

"You mean you've been slacking?" said Undyne after he noted this, appalled. "What if you get weaker?"

"Oh..." He stopped the one-armed push ups he'd been doing and sat on his mat.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just, I'm not sure I can get weaker, in that sense."

"What do you mean?"

"You are right in general. A monster who abandons exercise will gradually lose the benefits. You use it or you lose it, as they say. But I don't 'lose it'. There are times I have been unable to exercise for months, and when Doctor Drake examines me in my regular check up, there is next to no deterioration. I can still strengthen myself, but when that is the only reason to exercise, I confess I often tend to my garden instead."

"Woah, you're too strong to get weaker? That makes you an even better king!"

"I think it's more because..." he rested a hand on his chest "Because my body does not change in other ways. Because I do not age any more."

"Because you don't-" The implication clicked with her. "Oh. Oh crud, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up-"

"No no, it's alright, Undyne." He closed his eyes with a deep sigh. "You were not to know."

Undyne got past her embarrassment the best way she knew how: Working hard at whatever she was doing. Asgore's brief reservedness recovered externally, but even as he was insisting Undyne use a box to reach the pull up bar instead of just jumping up, or talking her out of strapping weights to her wrists, memories were playing at the edges of his mind. Those thorny seeds found plenty of fertilizer in the earlier conversation. And as they concluded for the day, making mechanical small talk about Undyne's piano practice, she chose to drench them in water.

"So they weren't all swords, right?"

Asgore emerged from his reverie while donning a sweater. "Hmm?"

"The humans who fell down here. I know I described one with a sword, but I know humans have other weapons too. Can you tell me what they were like?"

"Oh." His chuckle sounded remarkably forced. "We don't have to worry about that today, training is over. You can go home and-"

"Please, Mister Asgore? I bet they were cool. Like-" her imagination was running wild again, "-after the sword I bet the next one had heavy gauntlets perfect for strangling, laced with poison just to make sure. And then after that there were humongous boots with a hidden spike so you could kick your opponent and do serious damage! And then one guy pretends to be your friend, so they just have a book, but it's a spellbook so they can cast a spell that rips off your-"

"My my," he said, smiling too much, "what an active thinker you are. I'm sorry to disappoint but there was nothing so fanciful, so there's no need to talk about it."

"Aww," she moaned, "well can you tell me what they fought with? I gotta get some idea before it's my turn."

"Your turn?" Asgore continued to smile.

"Sure! I mean, we got five or six souls already, right? Another human's bound to come down here sooner or later, right?"

"..." Asgore continued to smile.

"And then when they do, I'll go after them, and when I take their soul everyone will cheer for me this time, and you can finally-"

"Perhaps this was a mistake." Asgore continued to smile.

Her fins swivelled at his words. "Huh?!"

"Maybe I was too rash in inviting you to personal training," he said pleasantly. "I mean, if you like we can still exercise together, but I'm not sure if you're ready for full guard training."

"'Not ready'? I'm plenty ready! I'll do whatever it takes! I've been doing that for months!"

The frozen smile finally began to withdraw. "I see. So tell me, little one. What does it take?"

She didn't hesitate. "It takes working really hard and getting as strong and fast as you can. It takes refusing to give up when someone tells you you can't. It takes telling your fear to leave you alone so when you come face to face with a human, you have no regrets when you fight them, even if you end up losing!"

Asgore looked away from her for a moment and sighed. "That is the problem, Undyne. That is a childish view of the guard. It is understandable of course, for you are a child, but one you must discard when you join it properly. You are not yet mature enough."

"I'm totally mature! I'm the most maturest kid I know in the whole Underground! And modest, too!"

He met her glare again, holding on to the remnants of his smile. "True maturity is not declared like that. It is demonstrated through actions."

"What is this maturity crap about anyway?!" she spat, looking ready to fail to punch him. "Gerson told me that he told you you were crazy to train me, and that didn't stop you. And if you don't listen to Gerson, you must be sure you're right about it! So why'd ya change your mind? Did I..." her anger was shoved to one side by doubt. "What did I do wrong?"

The floor of the locker room caught her attention while she desperately tried to answer that question herself, fists trembling. Something warm and heavy rested on her shoulder. Looking up, Asgore was on one knee, an air of pleading hiding behind his smile.

"Listen, Undyne. I... I want to give monsters hope," he said, "hope that life will get better for us."

"And I thought that's what the souls were for, to break the barrier..."

He nodded. "But we cannot feel hope if we do not feel happy. Happy and safe. The guard is just that, Undyne, a guard. Not an army. That is, um, for later. If another human falls-"

"You mean when."

"...when. At that time, the guard's responsibility, first and foremost, is to protect other monsters. They do not seek battle, they lead others away from it, keep them safe. Some may track the human, perhaps even restrain them, but it is my duty alone to... to do what has to be done. Do you understand?"

"Protect before attack..." Undyne struggled with this neglected concept. "Yeah I guess. Wait, no. I got some questions."

The smile withdrew, but it was a deliberate action. Asgore was bracing himself for something. "It never hurts to ask."

"So I get that if I see a human and there are monsters nearby, I should get them out of the way. That makes sense. But what if it's just me and the human and nobody else is around?"

"Hmm. I suppose it would be best to find the Captain of the Guard and tell them. Or me, if you can."

"Okay. But what if they find a monster to fight while I'm doing that?"

"Most guards should have a radio or a phone, so you don't need to let the human out of your sight."

"Oh, right. So then, fighting the human. I'm not trying to steal your glory or anything-" she missed his slight flinch, "-but if a human attacks a guard and they can't be restrained, is the guard not allowed to fight back?"

"...of course they can fight back. Banning self defence would be a foolish thing to do. But ideally it would be a last resort."

His answers swirled around in her head, laying out the path she was too bold not to follow. "One more question, sir: What if you're not there?"

"I'm not...?"

"What if you're sick, or they attack at night and you're asleep, or you locked yourself in the bathroom and can't get out?"

"Oh. Well, like before, the guard would work to capture them-"

"And what if they can't?"

Asgore had trouble meeting her eye. "I'm sure they'll be able to..."

"But what if? What if I'm all alone, and I see them, and you're busy, and the guards are busy, and my radio's busted, and they attack me? I know I was being selfish before, wanting to look like a hero instead of acting like one, but I want to make sure that it would be okay to fight in that case."

"A hero..." he sounded contemplative. "No, Undyne, you are best served retreating and finding someone so you can-"

"But you said self defence was okay."

"It is, but-"

Her eye narrowed as it clicked with her. "You're trying to stop me from fighting them at all, no matter what."

"No." It sounded feeble. "I just-"

"You just think I can't do it!"

"No, that's not it, I-"

"I'm not stupid, Asgore! No matter how bad my grades are, I know why I'm here. Dealing with humans is dangerous, I get that. I know that if they fight me, I could die. And I bet all the other guards know that too! Have you ever told them to never ever fight?"

"...no. But they are all adults, they appreciate-"

"Oh, so just because I'm a kid I should never fight?"

He was on both knees now. "I mean..."

"I'm not gonna lie and say I'm not scared. It sounds scary. But if fighting is the only way to give others hope, then I'm gonna do that, and my fear can get bent! Even if I might lose-"

" _But you might win!_ "

"Win? Why are you saying that like it's a bad thing? What the hell are you-"

Undyne suddenly buckled, but stayed her feet. A great weight was now on her shoulders, for Asgore had seized the second one and then crumpled, her support the only thing keeping his upper body from the floor. His own broad shoulders were shuddering while his breathing was ragged and irregular. Once again his golden hair kept his eyes from her view, but between those locks she could make something wet trickle down his muzzle. The muzzle wasn't still, for he was muttering something. She couldn't make it out, but it sounded full of remorse. Stunned by this development, she remained still until his muttering died away.

"Wh-what happened...?" she ventured. "Did the humans do this to you?"

"...most of them did nothing," he whispered, "I did this to myself..."

"Did what? Wh-what is this?"

"If you've already done it, then you understand. If you haven't, then you never can..."

He finally released her, resting on the floor completely and shuddering with each breath. Undyne didn't understand what he meant, but she understood that she didn't understand. There was something about fighting humans she didn't know about yet, not as simple as being stronger or knowing the right magic to use. Asking about it now though would be pointless. So instead she stepped forward and rested her tiny blue hand on one of his shoulders for a change, patting it gently. This seemed to have the desired effect, for his hulking form steadied. He lifted slightly, and his hands met his face for a moment while he got to his feet. His hands fell to his side, and Undyne was glad to see that smile of his, again missing the details of his eyes in her relief.

"I... I'm sorry, Asgore, if I-"

"No, I-" he cleared his throat, "I'm sorry if that startled you, child. It is nothing to worry about."

"It's okay, you look fine now! I guess I've got a lot to learn, don't I?"

"Yes. But you taught me something as well."

Her fangs disappeared in surprise. "I did? What?!"

"When you spoke of looking like a hero instead of acting like one... that is actually a very good way of thinking about what being in the guard means. And the fact you are aware of there being a difference, and trying to learn that difference..." He tussled her hair. "I'd say that puts you on the path to being a true hero. I think... I was mistaken about being mistaken."

The grin reappeared as her fists tightened in determination. "Really? That's awesome! And I'm gonna keep on this path, sir. I'll never let trying to look cool get in the way again, I'll always protect people first. I'll work my hardest, and then harder than that!"

"Well you were completely right about that part of training," he chuckled. "I suppose that's all for today, Undyne. You can go home now."

She looked away from him, struggling with something. "Can we do something else first?"

His eyes widened in surprise. "Yes?"

"Can you help me with a few more of these maths questions? I wanna make sure my teacher has no reason to bother you about me."

"Oh, of course! I shall have to make more tea first, however."

As they left the changing rooms to return to Asgore's house, Undyne let everything she'd seen swim around in her head. Adults were always telling her things were more complicated and difficult than she had thought, but today was the first time she'd really gotten a handle on that idea. Something about fighting humans left a mark. It wasn't likely many monsters knew this, or people would have seen Asgore like this in public before. Maybe he didn't want people to worry. Yeah, that sounded right, if he's all about giving hope. And he probably thought he was the only one who could handle that mark, whatever it was. He was probably right about that. For now.

But Undyne was going to learn. She'd figure it out, and how to deal with it, and then when the time came, the whole Kingdom wouldn't have to look just to him. If two people were able to give them hope, they'd have even more hope, right? That would be best for everyone. And he wouldn't have to endure whatever it was all on his own. It was the least she could do for him giving her this chance. She looked up at him as he fumbled with his brick of a phone, possibly to cancel something to make time for her studies. She was excited. She was happy.

They were going to be free.

**Author's Note:**

> In one timeline, the results of this conversation leads to Undyne inadvertently _[Cutting the Knot](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16613447)_
> 
> Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!


End file.
